October Game of the Month: Presentation vs. Sacred Heart Prep

On Oct. 4, the Presentation varsity water polo team went up against the pugnacious Gators from Sacred Heart Prep. After an extremely physical match between the two teams, Presentation lost 10-6 to the top-ranked SHP.

The varsity game started off with two quick goals by Sacred Heart Prep. Presentation was unable to stop the aggressive offensive attack from SHP and let three more goals in during the second quarter. Presentation senior, Stephanie Maniglia made several attempts to score on SHP. In the third quarter SHP made two goals, as well as Presentation. One of the goals was made Presentation senior, Monique Kerstens. The SHP coach was given yellow card and player Stephanie Maniglia of Presentation was taken out of the game. The last quarter was pretty close Presentation scored four goals and Sacred Heart Prep scored three.

After the match varsity player Lena Robledo, junior commented, “It was really tough playing against Sacred Heat because they had strong shooter and were a very physical team”.

The junior varsity game was similarly tough, resulting in a loss of 4 to 2. During the first quarter, Sacred Heart Prep scored two goals, but goalie, Jamie Carr, junior blocked a barrage of hard shots. Kristin Pfaff, junior attempted several shots on SHP but was denied. During the second and third quarter the Gators made another two goals. In the last quarter Presentation blocked all attempts made by Sacred Heart Prep and scored two, including a goal by sophomore Jessica Kwok and was assisted by number Kristin Pfaff.

Game of the Month

On Wednesday the 27th, varsity volleyball put on their game faces and stepped on their home court to challenge St. Francis for their final WCAL league game. With three defeats over St. Francis, Presentation had the upper hand, but in a shocking finish St. Francis took the win 4-1.

Tough playing by both teams kept the excitement high and the crowd on their feet, but St. Francis brought their A game, and it was difficult to break their determination. With the loss, Presentation ended up with a record of 22-3.

After our senior stars were announced and applauded, the starting lineup stepped onto the court. Seniors Sarah Cole, Katie Pearson, Molly Pearson, Katy Shatzman as Libero and Katy Tagart set up in their starting positions accompanied by junior Ronnie Bither.

The first game started with high enthusiasm from St. Francis as they took the first two points of the match, but a quick change of

stamina sparked when Tagart hit a hard spike to gain Presentation’s first point. The game was back and forth as hard-hitting action took place on both sides of the court. A back-to-back spike by Cole and Sklar put Pres in the lead; but due to some hard Lancer spikes, St. Francis took the first game 25-19.

St. Francis’ athleticism provided them with a 4-0 lead over Pres in the beginning of the second game, but an out-of-bounds hit from St. Francis provided Pres with the side out needed to rekindle their high spirits. A spike by Sklar and a conjoined block by Tagart and Pearson led Pres to their next couple points, but an error by Pres put St. Francis back in the lead.

The energy change in this game moved with celerity and an amazing tip by Tagart brought Pres back in the game. Back and forth points from both teams resulted in St. Francis taking the win in this close match with a final score of 25-22.

The third game started again with St. Francis grasping the lead, but they did not hold onto it for long. Fans and players were on their feet when Sklar blocked a powerful hit from St. Francis; this exciting play gave Pres room to add to their score and get back into the game. A run from Presentation–including a block from Pearson and a powerful spike by Cole–brought Pres to a 22-18 lead over St. Francis; this was their biggest lead of the night.

One out hit brought St. Francis’s spirit back up and they succeeded in catching up and now only trailed by two points. Another incredible block by Pearson and Bither put the 24th point on the board, and with a hit in the net by St. Francis, Pres took the match 25-23.

St. Francis led the beginning of the fourth game, but, with no surprise, junior Sklar put points on the board for Pres with a strong spike. St. Francis led the Panthers 12-6. Cole raised the energy for Pres once again with a nerve-racking tip. The determination level remained high in the fourth game. Sklar finished off a long-lasting rally with an amazing spike. Pres battled hard to gain back the points lost by minuscule mistakes, but unluckily St. Francis ended up taking the fourth match 25-18 to win the game.

Senior Sarah Cole says that despite their loss this game was a turning point for their team. “I think we all would agree that it was an opportunity for us to really come together as a team, which we hadn’t ever fully done,” she said.

Presentation Volleyball was able to bounce back the following weekend and commandeer the title of #1 team in the country. The team went undefeated at the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions, where they faced St. Francis once again. Presentation received first place in the tournament and St. Francis was placed in 9th.

Presentation played St. Francis on November 4 for co-champions of WCAL.

February Game of the Month: Varsity Basketball vs. Mitty

The rivalry between Presentation and Mitty is legendary, especially on the basketball court. On Jan. 13 this rivalry was played out in a basketball game that ended in the score Panthers 47, Monarchs 81. Opening the game with a solid starting lineup, the Panthers upheld a four-point lead against the powerhouse Monarchs following a three-point shot by junior Chelsea Punian in the last three seconds of the first quarter. This left the score Panthers 16, Monarchs 12.
Both teams played with a tight defense, asserting themselves on the court in an aggressive manner. At first the Monarchs struggled to make their bank shots and lay ups. However, they began to sink their shots both inside and outside of the key. The Panthers checked such advances with adept dribbling skills and passing. Despite such efforts, the Panthers lost their lead to the Monarchs with a score of Panthers 24, Monarchs 28 in the first half.
The second half aroused a challenge as the Monarchs scored a series of baskets, fast breaks, outside shots, and three pointers. The Monarchs stepped onto the court with a dangerous, penetrating offense which proved difficult to match. Chelsea Punian, the Panther’s leading scorer, scored a total of 22 points followed by sophomore Kayla Bose with eight points and senior Savannah Morgan with seven. Even these numbers could not match those of the Monarchs.
Off the court, the team was at a loss as junior Nici Gilday was out with a severely sprained ankle. Gilday said, “We need to play consistently during each game. We need to be aggressive. Hopefully we’ll make it to CCS and win.”